Advent
by ShippingForecast - Everything
Summary: Christmassy fic with our favourite pairing, Harry and Nikki!
1. Deck The Halls

**Hey guys! Here is an old christmassy fic that I wrote on my old account. I've changed it a little and I will be adding to it more than I did previously. Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

"Right go on then Leo, here's mine." Harry handed over a terribly wrapped Christmas present to his boss before standing back with a smug smirk on his face. Nikki is up next, handing over a very neatly wrapped parcel, with a knowing grin trying to put Harry back in his place. "Well open them then!" Harry had always been impatient. Whether it was opening his own gifts or waiting to see the look of absolute glee on another person's face at the amazing present he had given them. Leo chose to open Harry's first. It took a while because of the sheer amount of tape he had used to hide all the tears in the paper. When Leo had finally pulled out the gift, Harry's face widened with a childish smile and he wiggled his eyebrows at Nikki.  
"Well, it's certainly an interesting colour." It was actually less interesting and more 'vomit-green' as Harry described it.  
"And look, front and back!"  
"Oh… well, that's definitely a contender." The jumper in fact, was almost up there with the worst Christmas jumpers he had ever seen, and Leo was sure Nikki's couldn't top it. On the front was a drunken Santa, stuffing his face with mince pies, while a charming view of the back showed Santa's rear end not quite being covered up by his trademark red trousers.  
"God that is horrible Harry! I don't know how anything could compete with that. It's truly the ugliest Christmas jumper I've ever seen." Nikki laughed alongside Leo, as he tried it on. "Suits you Leo, you should definitely wear it to the party tonight."  
"Well, hang on let's see what yours is like. I was thinking of actually going more tasteful to the party."  
"Good luck." Nikki muttered under her breath. She was sneaky.  
"Maybe not then." Leo sighed as he pulled it out of the wrapping. All that harry could see from the back was that it was quite long and a more tasteful green. Then Leo turned it round.  
"Nikki Alexander you minx! I can't believe you!" Harry grinned.  
"Hey come on, it's a rather spectacular win, you've got to give me that." Nikki's winning jumper came in the form of an adorable upside down snowman, with a less than appropriately placed carrot nose…  
"I am now completely stuck for something to wear to the party, thanks you two."  
"You're very welcome, although I still think mine's a viable choice."  
"Of course you do Harry." Leo sighed through a smile, indicating it was time to get back to work. They would of course be exchanging their real gifts on Christmas day.

* * *

"Okay, Leo honest answer here, who's the best cook?" the working hadn't lasted long – reports were boring and Harry had a very short attention span. For the past ten minutes he and Nikki had been arguing about who was bringing what to Leo's for Christmas dinner, with Harry being adamant he was going to bring something more important because he was the better cook.  
"I see you're both getting lots done." Leo sighed, but expected nothing less. It was always like this in the run up to Christmas. Nikki almost showed him how much she'd done of her report, but restrained herself as she knew Harry would only poke fun at her for being a 'teacher's pet'.  
"Leo, I am definitely the better cook. You've said on several occasions my Bolognese is your favourite."  
"Oh Leo, you didn't?!" Harry looked at his friend with raised eyebrows.  
"It's…" Leo felt cornered now.  
"He hesitated Nikki." Harry loved causing office drama, especially when he could sit back and watch, or make comments to encourage further conflict.  
"You don't like it?! Why didn't you say?!"  
"I didn't want to hurt your feelings!"  
"Hey Leo remember when it was Nikki's turn to host Christmas dinner and we had to order in from the Indian because she burnt _everything."_  
"That was in fact your fault because you were the most annoying guest in history. You know where everything is in my house, and yet you made me cater to your every beck and call, not even thinking to help me out!"  
"At least I can boil vegetables." She threw her pen at him, and Leo told them both to get back to work.

* * *

"Definitely Home Alone."  
"Harry did you ever grow up?"  
"Nope. What's yours then?"  
"Miracle on 34th Street."  
"Which one's that?"  
"Oh come it's the one with the little girl who doesn't believe in Santa…"  
"Don't think I've ever seen it."  
"You and I need to have a serious Christmas-education then. Tomorrow night at mine then. You bring the food, I'll provide the wine and wonderful company."  
"It's a date." She blushed, but luckily she had to duck her head anyway so that when Leo walked past again he thought they were working rather than discussing their top Christmas films.

* * *

"Have you two nearly finished? I need some help decorating the hall, as apparently it's our department's turn."  
"Yep I'm done!" Nikki slammed her paper shut, and rushed over to Leo before Harry had even replaced his pen lid. Today had been slower than usual, nobody had been brought in and the day had been left to struggling over reports and talking about Christmas, as it was only a week away. More importantly their Christmas party was tonight, and none of the trio could have been less excited to make a fool out of themselves in front of the whole department, so of course it seemed as though the hour that had just passed seemed more like five. They left the lab together for the short walk to the university hall that they had been allocated. Nikki's face dropped as they entered the room.  
"This is going to take some time. Nobody mentioned that we'd have to decorate it all. I thought somebody might have at least put the tree up!"  
"Well we best get to it then. You two can put the tree over there by the stage, and I'll get started on the banners and whatever else I can find in this bag. But don't decorate the tree without me!"  
"Yes sir!" Harry saluted to his boss while Nikki pulled open one of the dusty boxes of decorations. "God, I remember these decorations from my first year here!"  
"We seriously need to invest in some new things."

"There, it looks great – well with our limited resources I suppose. Now for the tree!"  
"Nikki, you basically bit my head off earlier when I suggested that Home Alone was a great film-"  
"Oh I love Home Alone!"  
"Thanks Leo, anyway… you're running up and down these halls decking them with holly and what not like a six year old."  
"Alright, alright! But this is _definitely_ the best part of Christmas. Here, you can untangle the lights." Nikki dumped a bunch of fairy lights into Harry's hands before tugging out some golden tinsel from the box.  
"Here, Harry let me do that I've had plenty of experience."  
"I'll go help Nikki with that tinsel then." Harry shrugged and loaded off the fairy lights on to Leo.  
Leo shook his head, leaving Harry to wrap tinsel around Nikki as though she needed more decoration than her loud pink Christmas jumper and reindeer antlers. Leaving them to do the tree while he wrestled with the lights, he managed to sneakily place some mistletoe behind them, hoping at some point they might realise what he and Janet and Zac and Charlie and the rest of the entire department had realised years ago…

* * *

Nikki saw the mistletoe dangling just in front of her. Harry didn't. All _he_ noticed was Nikki. Even from the other side of the room she was striking in a long red dress that clung to her figure. She was chatting animatedly to Sam from the chemistry department. He was her type, according to Harry. Tall, sandy hair, well built and in a tight suit. Damn Harry would have fallen for him. Sam played it well. Kept talking until the 'oh what a surprise look it's mistletoe' act he pulled, so he could chance a snog from the best looking woman there. He was drunk and wanted a pull, Nikki knew this of course. She wasn't stupid, so when he leant in for a kiss, she turned her cheek and smiled politely, luckily spotting Harry in the crowd looking like he needed to be rescued from Mrs Bridges the receptionist. She waved him over and he practically burst into a run.  
"Oh would you look at that, mistletoe." He raised his eyebrows, while his classic lopsided grin played on his face.  
"Do not even start I've just had that weirdo Sam over here trying to shove his tongue down my throat. Grab me a drink?"  
"Please?"  
" _Please_ before I kill the next man to stand underneath the mistletoe with me and oh look that's you!"

They stayed until the very end' they were dancing terribly, singing even more terribly and of course drinking a lot. There was a generous supply of alcohol which had kept them going, and Harry loved all the terrible cheesy Christmas songs, so anytime Nikki hinted that she wanted to leave it was "oh just this one song and then we'll go" for about ten songs, until the DJ finally gave in to his tiredness and told the lingerers it was time to go to bed, nobody in that room was getting any younger.


	2. Oh Come All Ye Faithful

"Leo, I need your help."  
"What's wrong are you okay? Is Nikki okay?" He sounded tired but panicked and no wonder, he'd been woken up on a Saturday morning after a night of drinking by Harry calling him, him then reaching over to grab the phone, and then falling off the sofa, which is where he'd placed himself last night so he hadn't woken Janet or the kids.  
"Yes, yes we're all okay. Well I hope Nikki's okay. I've not spoken to her since last night, and she did nearly fall out of the taxi I put her in, but I'm sure she's fine. Actually I'll text her in a minute. Just to be safe." He was rambling, giving Leo time to get a glass of water and start rummaging through the cupboards for paracetamol. "I've not got her anything! We agreed to just do jokey presents this year but she let slip last night that she's got me something special! So now I've got to rush into town and buy her something and I have no clue what to buy her. Leo are you even listening to me?" Leo hurriedly picked the phone back up, after leaving it on the side on loud-speaker while he took painkillers for his headache.  
"Yes I'm here, you need to stop stressing out. Just go into town and buy her something."  
"But what am I going to get her. You know me, I need weeks to figure out the perfect gift, not five days!"  
"Well then make her something, I don't bloody know! I'm tired."  
"You've been very helpful Leo! Is Janet there?"  
"Janet's asleep."  
"No she isn't." Janet at that moment had strolled into the kitchen in a dressing gown rubbing her eyes. "You do realise you were shouting. If you've woken those two up I will kill you."  
"Sorry, love."  
"Make me coffee. Harry, what do you want?"  
"Hi Janet, sorry, probably my fault you're awake."  
"Definitely your fault, but go on."  
"I need to buy Nikki a Christmas present and I have no idea what to get her."  
"If you can babysit Boxing Day, I will come into town with you and help you find a present."  
"Babysit my wonderful godchildren, of course. Thanks Janet, I'll come pick you up."  
"Give me an hour to get ready and I'm all yours."

* * *

"Jewellery?"  
"She's very picky and I wouldn't trust myself."  
"Clothes?"  
"And if I get the size wrong?!"  
"A book? What's her favourite book?"  
"To Kill a Mockingbird. Though she never has time to read. She's always complaining about it. If she spent less time complaining about it she'd have more time to read."  
"You certainly know your Nikki trivia."  
"When you work with her for as long as I have you learn these things, she's a chatterbox, never stops talking. Maybe I'll get her some duct tape so I can actually get my work done in piece! God she is just awful to buy for. If she's got me socks after all this I swear I'll get her a bloody satsuma next year."  
"Come on Harry stop jabbering and let's keep looking!"

* * *

"Nikki are you alive?" He'd finally bought the present, after hours and hours traipsing round shops with Janet. Hopefully she would like it.  
"Urgh."  
"I think you're getting too old to be going on benders don't you?"  
"Who are you calling old? I've seen your grey hairs before you get the chance to dye it again. Yep, the secret's out, we all know you dye your hair."  
"Are you still drunk?"  
"Nope, but I feel like crap. I've been lying on the sofa watching day time television. How did you escape the hangover?! You were the one pestering me to stay all night!"  
"I was drunk on the atmosphere – it's almost Christmas. Besides, I didn't have to do a bunch of shots to deal with the number of creeps you had coming on to you. Anyway, I've bought us a Chinese."  
"Harry did I ever tell you you're my best friend?"  
"Thought so. You set up the film then, maybe no wine."  
"Best way to get over a hangover is to keep on drinking."  
"Not when you're on call the next day and it leaves you looking green. Especially because I know you'll be sat at my desk when you do decide to vomit."  
"Fine, fine! Coffee and Chinese it is!"

Around fifteen minutes later Nikki had made herself somewhat presentable, and there was the knock on the door just in time. _"Why is he singing? He's doing this just to annoy me."  
_ "Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant… shall I carry on?"  
"Please don't, you're about as tuneful as Amy when she does drunk karaoke."  
"Ouch, hungover Nikki is catty Nikki. Here, I brought you a present." She almost ripped the bag from his hands, the Chinese food smelt so good.  
"Come on get in, it's freezing out there."  
"No snow yet though."  
"Doubt we'll get any. As per. I'm never going to get to make a snowman like this!"  
"Well that's because you're 36…"  
"Says the one. Besides, I've never built a snowman. We didn't get snow where I lived when I was a kid, and since then there's never been enough snow."  
"You've never built a snowman?! That's almost child abuse."  
"It's not that bad."  
"Nikki, you have just told me you've never built a snowman. Yesterday you told me you'd never been ice skating. I must wonder what you did at Christmas before me!"  
"You know very well what I did at Christmas before you."  
"Yes, stayed in eating burnt turkey, drinking wine while watching terrible films!"  
"Well thank you for that evaluation but you forgot the part about me shagging some unsuitable guy." She picked up her carton of food and the bottle of wine (she'd caved) that were on the table before sulking away into her room.  
 _"Well done Harry."_ He sighed and sank back into the sofa.

"Nikki I'm sorry! Please come out. I know I'm an arse. I've put the DVD on, I'm looking forward to watching it. Come out please? I've made you something." He was in fact freezing his hand off. He'd scraped together all of the ice he could from her freezer and made a miniature snowman, he just hoped she opened the door before it melted all over him and her carpet.  
"You're not going to talk during the film?"  
"I promise." She opened the door and couldn't help but laugh, seeing Harry slouched against the opposite wall, holding in his hand a quickly-melting, tiny snowman.  
"I still haven't built one!"  
"Well there's enough freezer ice, but I thought we could just watch the film?"  
"I think that would be a good idea."  
"I'll just go put this back then."  
"Yep and make sure the peas have been properly closed, I don't want them to have poured out all over my freezer."

* * *

"And wasn't that just the best Christmas film you've ever seen?"  
"I suppose, it was quite good. Bit girly though. I need people being hit with paint cans, and having their heads set on fire."  
"How Christmassy!"  
"You're never going to win me round. Anyway, it's getting late."  
"I have just the thing." Nikki disappeared into the kitchen for around ten minutes, enough time for Harry to look through her DVD collection and shake his head at her terrible taste for the billionth time. He could probably tell you every DVD she owned. All he would have to do is think of a Sandra Bullock or Gerard Butler film.  
"Here." She handed him a large mug of hot chocolate, topped with cream and marshmallows.  
"I suppose even you couldn't go wrong with a hot chocolate…"  
"And I'm going to put the fire on. Put on Home Alone then. I saw it in your bag."  
"Yes! I also have a surprise for you tomorrow, so let's hope you don't get called in."  
"What is it?"  
"Well it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you would it?"  
"You know I hate surprises."  
"You love surprises. Now shush it's coming on." He let her rest her head on him and they cuddled up again on the sofa, in front of the fire, with their hot chocolates. He loved their date nights, he could pretend they were real. Especially when she nodded off, and he kissed her forehead before carrying her to bed, and setting up camp in her spare room.


End file.
